“What makes a good agent?”
You and I could write a multi-chaptered book about the answer. Maybe we will someday. In the meantime, here’s a shortish answer in blog post form. Basically, you have to behave like a Super Hero with multiple personalities. You’re smart, you can do it if you choose.
Consider this…
Your Job Is Not Selling Real Estate
Happy buyers and sellers are the byproduct of successful service, not Bad-Ass Sales Technique, Shazam Geek Savvy, Cheesy Chest Thumping or Faux Posing. To grow, last, laugh and enjoy success, don’t focus on selling. Focus on service. Here’s what I think our real jobs are, and a few role models who light the way.
Surprise and Stupify – Forest Gump Style
Gump didn’t run around shouting “I’m NUMBER ONE”, “Dig ME”. He wasn’t brain surgeon smart. He was candid, curious and sincere. He ran and ran and ran. He was humble. He didn’t brag. He surprised. He over-delivered. He had a quirky sense of humor, too.
Are you about “YOU” or “THEM”? Do you surprise or bore, underwhelm or….? Are you killjoy serious or ????
Lead – Joan of Arc Style
Joan didn’t complain and whine. She didn’t talk about what she was going to do. She didn’t wait, mope and hope. She took charge. She acted. She committed. She was passionate about her cause.
Do you lead or bend and noodle with the lemming masses?
Advocate – Johnnie Cochran Style
Johnnie didn’t engage half-assed. He went strong. He beamed grace, charm and substance. He clawed, battled and rhymed a stone cold killer out of the electric chair. For grins, say it with me, ” If the glove doesn’t fit….”
Do you drift limping through the motions or are you gracefully fierce?
Love All, Serve All – Mother Teresa Style
Mother Teresa loved all. Served unselfishly. Forgave. Burned with quiet compassion. Shined ego free. Lived in the now.
Do you hold grudges, prejudge and ego-bloat yourself up or do you flow, give, share, seek to understand and serve?
Prevent Forest Fires – Smokey Style
Smokey preached prevention – fire prevention.
Don’t let tempers flare. Keep fiery emotions in check. Don’t fan the licking flames of gossip. Keep things and people cool, fresh and fizzy light as a tall glass of chilled Perrier. Be proactive.
Do you start and fuel emotional forest fires or do you prevent them?
Connect & Inspire – Obama Style
Think about the odds. The audacity. The journey. The endurance. The clarity. The assuring confidence. The message and the method. The passion.
Are you devolving Old School or evolving New School? Do you inspire and arouse or deflate and fast forward flaccidity?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s it. Focus on attractive, empowering characteristics and what you strive for will find you. Focus on sales, transactions, units, leads and prospects – you’re swimming upstream my friend.
My three cents.
Cheers.
Chris Shouse
January 2, 2009 at 9:43 am
I made a big mistake recently. Had a potential client in town one day. I had only a few hours to dazzel him. He only wanted to look at a couple of houses and get to know the area. I made the mistake of not asking what price range. So the houses I chose to show him were a disappointment. He is not moving for a year or so. Can I win his confidence back? Any idea’s on how to dazzel him from a distance now when I blew it?
Sherry Baker
January 2, 2009 at 9:57 am
Excellent post, Ken — I think you hit on some of the balls we drop, and some we never pick up! Nobody can be every one of those icons all the time, but if we try to hit some of the best parts of them, we’ll be better and more successful agents than many others out there.
Mimi Harden
January 3, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Self-professed real estate junkie here, and I loved this post. The real estate professional profile is one of never-ending fascination to me. I see smart, well-educated friends make critical decisions about the agents they’re going to work with based on the most non-sensical criteria. These transactions are serious business!! A happenstance meeting at an open house isn’t a good basis for such an important relationship – or is it? Guess some of us met our spouses in similar ways. 🙂
Well, it’s good to set the bar high.
MH
Ken Brand
January 4, 2009 at 7:53 am
Chris – If we had $10 for every mistake we make, we could retire. It sounds to me like your bobble is not fatal. Sounds like you have time to recover gracefully and powerfully. I would sign them up with some auto notification for listings that meet their criteria. In our market we have a little local newspaper (community events, etc.), if you do too, I’d send that on a regular basis. I’d also send any articles or web links to community market stuff as well. Bottom line – per usual – make yourself valuable and the Go To Woman for what he desires. Also, as a side note, I wouldn’t set up any direct to him stuff, I’d want to forward it along with a note or a comment. Good luck – it’s yours, go get it.
Sherry – Thanks. It’s hard enough to slip into super hero character on-demand, let alone two or there…but you’re spot on, when we consciously strive to rise, we rise above the masses. Cheers in the New Year.
Mimi – Thanks for the compliment. I too find the ebb and flow of our business fascinating. The whipping hot and cold winds of emotion and logic make me cry and laugh and say huh and WTH. That’s what makes our lives rich….and sometimes poor. Go, go, go!
Mack
January 4, 2009 at 9:01 am
Very early in my career a wise gentleman told me that the best thing that I could ever do was to “Under Promise and Over Deliver”. Even though I may not succeed, that is what I try to do with every client.
Paula Henry
January 4, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Ken – This is quite a list, which we should all aim to hit the mark on. The ability to inspire comes from the passion we have for what we are doing. When passion drives us, many of these qualities shine through.